Apologies for the silence lately! It has been busy to say the least.

After a super fun, successful and semi-chaotic first season on LBI, I was left feeling absolutely grateful, exhausted and satisfied. Let's be honest, Jersey women really understand what we're trying to do here at ALU! I guess it's in my blood as a Jersey girl myself - we love to shop. Especially on vacation. Who doesn't? I set out to bring a little something different to Long Beach Island and I am so elated that it was well received. I feel a true connection to my home state and fall in love every day with running a business here.

The season in Beach Haven felt like a true blessing (i kind of hate that word now-a-days, don't you? #sickofit) because opening there was still somewhat a shot in the dark. I had been living and working in Brooklyn for a while and wasn't sure if what the store set out to do was going to even work on the island. Taking the leap and starting anything new is always a risk and comes accessorized with it's own set of scary (but worth it) anxieties. And to be honest? Moving the shop directly from the Brooklyn space right into the Beach Haven space left little time to really ponder any real what-ifs or overly negative thoughts. It was go time and I am so happy ALU has an LBI home. 

The busy season ended later than expected (atleast for me..I know a few other stores open longer into the off season) and even with the cancellation of the official last hurrah, Chowderfest, we still ended strong into October. I met so many fantastic faces, had fabulous help that made me feel confident that the store would run smoothly every single day even when I was endlessly driving up & down the GSP 3 times a week back to Brooklyn and living out of a suitcase. In some cases, we weren't even prepared for the mad rush of shoppers that basically left the store looking totally empty at the end of each day. If I could have told myself that that would have been impossible 2 years ago while sitting in my teensy tiny Brooklyn space with sometimes 1 customer a day and a gigantic overhead draining me $$$$ each month, I think I would have ..well, I would have listened. In fact, I did listen. Which is why the store moved. Even when everyone asked me 10948 questions about why i would ever do that, it just made sense to me and I knew it would just work out. Always trust ya gut.

Living part time and working on the island all summer felt magical. With my family just a few steps away and new faces that turned into familiar ones coming in each day made the drive, stresses and sometimes chaos of traveling back and forth a total no brainer. Once September hit, I wanted to take a big ol' nap and now I'm here counting down the months so I can do it all over again. And do it even better.

To anyone who stopped in this summer or lent your support - thank you, thank you, thank YOU! I can't wait to give you even more for our second season. We are back open in April!

If you follow the shop's instagram and/or subscribe to our emails, you probably found out earlier this week that ALU's Brooklyn shop is relocating permanently to NJ. It's been bittersweet to share the news and to know that packing up and moving everything out is on the horizon. However, it's super exciting to be able to watch the store take advantage of new opportunities and see where the paths take us.

It has been so emotional to see the emails and in store stop ins from customers and neighborhood friends showing their support, their sadness (and also their understanding) to see the shop leave Boerum Hill. I have held back tears atleast 5 times over the past 24 hours. Mostly because I'm still deeply moved that people felt a connection to the store & appreciated what I tried to build.

Since the shop's lease is coming to a close smack dab in the middle of the busy season for the Beach Haven shop and we weren't ready to sign on for another 2+ years in this space, a decision had to be made. The shop is also rapidly growing out of our teensy space and moving to a larger space in an area with great foot traffic in Brooklyn is super expensive right now. Taking on a $8,000+ a month lease is not something I want to have on my back as a young business owner.

These are all just growing pains and like in anything in life, it's important to be decisive and fix what could be better, especially when you're responsible for your business' destiny. Quick and effective problem solving is a major part of the gig. But it's hard to call anything a 'problem' when it comes to this sweet first home. I am so thankful for my fantastic Brooklyn landlord who took a chance on me and believed in my vision. A true angel!

A lot of questions have come my way since the announcement, and I'd like to take this post to address a few common ones at once:

Hopefully this post clears up some things and gives answers. It's important for me to have a voice and be honest to my customers. Plus, everyone who shops here and keeps up with us on social media deserve answers.

 The Brooklyn shop's last day is Sunday April 12th. We will be having a huge sale April 4th until the 12th - everything will be 25% - 50% off!  Leaving will be hard but I truly can't wait to see where the next few years takes ALU.

Thank you for being a huge part of our story, Boerum Hill! We will keep in touch.

The show goes on!

This winter we are focusing on quality over quantity as far as our hours go. 

The weekdays during the winter are a bit slow for shopping so we want to use an extra day of the week to recharge, regroup and be better.  Taking an additional day to close means keeping a closer eye on our (soon to be announced) in-store projects and appointments with showrooms to make sure the products coming in are top notch.

Until March, we will be closed on not only Mondays but Tuesdays as well. Shop hours will be Wednesday thru Saturday 11am-7pm and Sunday 11am-5pm!

As always, contact the shop thru email if you'd like us to open up for you if you can only make it in those two days. We will find a way to make it work so you can have your bit of lovely.

xo

If you are subscribed to our weekly emails, you most likely received the announcement regarding our new styling sessions. Throughout this past year,  I've worked closely with certain customers searching for specific items such as the perfect gray printed dress or unique gift options for a wife's upcoming birthday. This has been conducted over email, phone and some in shop visits. The common denominator is that with busy schedules, it's hard to cover all of your bases by yourself. With so much going on in life, an extra set of eyes assisting you in your shopping process can be a tremendous (and fun!) relief.

In addition to personal styling, private shopping sessions and gift sourcing - we are also going to be offering individual interior styling sessions * after so many requests regarding how we style the inside of the shop, where some of the pieces come from and questions on how to replicate the shop's aesthetic at home.

You may be asking -  why would I need to make an appointment? What's the difference? The simple answer is: convenience. Stopping by during normal store hours is totally great and we love seeing you at any time.

However, by setting up a private time, you can specify what it is you're looking for prior to entering the store so numerous options are pulled & waiting for you. We can take time to really discuss how to make you feel as best as possible and cater to your specific schedule.

VIP shopping appointments include complimentary sweet refreshments and fresh flowers to ensure a truly special experience which makes for an excellent gift or day out with girl friends!

There are various options to cater to anything you need - consider A Lovely Universe your own personal styling assistant without paying crazy expensive stylist costs, especially during the holidays! They will be here before you know it, so let us help you out.

 To learn more, fill out the form here and receive the session menu (prices range from free of charge to $95 for VIP sessions) thru email. 

* In addition to a retail and marketing background, I also have experience in interiors as I worked as an in-home design consultant for Jonathan Adler which really allowed me (in addition to my own personal love of home decor in my apartments throughout the years) to learn the specifics of furniture, listening to clients' needs and styling their homes accordingly.

Have you been to Brooklyn, yet? If you are reading this and have shopped in the store, then yes, duh you've been to Brooklyn. But many have yet to venture here, including some folks in Manhattan who refuse which only makes me silently ask "Is it 1999? Who refuses to leave the island of Manhattan for another borough?".

If you are in town, you simply must explore Brooklyn. There is so much to do, it's hard to ever get bored. However, in my opinion it is still a bit more calming and neighborhood-y than our across the river neighbors. Just like each area of Manhattan, BK's hoods have a lot of various attributes, cultures, and aesthetics. It's a bit of a dream to wake up each day here and call it home.

While I do not live in Boerum Hill, my shop is here so it's pretty important that I atleast enjoy the area. But Boerum Hill has totally stolen my heart. It feels like a little small town within a city. With tree lined streets, beautiful brownstones, little kids on scooters, babies kicking in strollers, chic young people, charming older folks, crazy characters, quaint cafes and divey bars, great shopping and tons of history..plus, access to all of the best subway trains. I'm pretty sure the grammar police is going to be knocking down my door within minutes from this entire post but the point is that not only as a small business owner, but as a human in general, I am so pumped to be a part of Boerum Hill. So much that I included a little guide to neighborhood spots aside from ALU that I just need you to check out!

Head over here to get the full list. See you soon!